Dragoons of a New Age
by Katherine-Magnolia
Summary: This story begins the day before the battle of Kadessa. It continues 10,000 years after Dart n' Friends. There are now six new Dragoon spirits, making a total of fourteen. Who will be who? Old and new must work together.
1. The Old Dragoons

((This is my first Legend of Dragoon fic but I've been itching to write one and I finally decided that I would do so. A few of the characters that will be in here are not in the game and I made them up, so they are mine. I do that a lot with stories as anyone who has read any of my stories will have realized by now. I hope you enjoy my story.))  
  
DISCLAIMER: This is only going in here once. I don't own Legend of Dragoon or any of its characters but that ones that I made up are mine so I do own them.  
  
The red-eyed girl sat at the window with her legs drawn up to her chest tightly. Her silky turquoise blue hair was dripping wet, as was the rest of her body. It always was though; she hated to be completely dry and almost never was. That was why her room was like it was, almost completely covered in water. It reminded her of her home, made her feel more comfortable then anywhere else ever could. Except, perhaps, for the ocean. But that was so far away that she could not simply go there whenever she wanted too.  
  
Instead of a flat floor it was made of circles upon circles, the edges always sticking up above the water that covered the floor like a sort of walkway. All but two of the circles held only eight inches of water. The one where the girl slept was two feet deep. The largest circle was eight feet deep, deep enough for the girl to relax completely in it. Where she sat, by the window, was an elevated half-circle and only six inches deep.  
  
"I still do not understand why you had a room with a bunch of water-filled circles made," a light female voice said from the doorway. "You could have simply made it a big pool."  
  
The red-eyed girl turned and a smile bloomed on her face. "Hello to you as well Shirley," she said in her water-like voice. "I have explained it to you before. The circles are soothing and remind me of my home. A simple pool would not be as well. Not to mention the fact that I am a half-mermaid and I hate being far from water. What made you come to my room today? I would have thought you would be spending the day with Belzac."  
  
Shirley gingerly picked her way across to the only dry spot in the room, a couch beside the window. After she had sat down and placed her silver bow beside her she said in a quiet voice, "Because you know what tomorrow is Damia. I thought that you might wish to visit your family today, as you haven't seen them in around a year."  
  
Damia's head whipped around quickly, tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face. Mention of her family always did that to her, she missed them so much. Shirley reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry if I caused you pain," she said gently. "If you do not want to do that then will you spend the day with me?"  
  
Damia turned back and nodded as Shirley wiped the tears off her face. "You would spend the day with me?" she asked, her eyes starting to brighten. Shirley nodded and began to smile. "Then come with me to see my family. Then we can party until tomorrow comes!"  
  
Shirley laughed as Damia did a dive off the window into the deepest pool, not even a ripple marred the surface. This was the Damia she knew, a happy go-lucky girl. Not the depressed one she had seen in the past few days. This was exactly what the girl needed to make her feel like her old self again.  
  
When Damia came out of the water she grabbed her large hammer and skipped over the edges of the circles to the door. "Are you coming or what Shirley?" she asked over her shoulder. "This was all your idea after all." And I am not going to do this alone, she thought. No matter what anyone says none of them know what we are going to see. Even thought she was having darker thoughts then normal her face still gave off the impression of her typical joy.  
  
Shaking her head Shirley started towards the door. Damia thought that maybe if she played a little prank like she always did then Shirley would never expect that there was anything wrong with her. So, the girl picked up a small piece of wood from just outside her door and threw it directly at Shirley's left foot just as she lifted her right. "Damia!" Shirley shrieked as she fell into the water. The girl doubled over laughing but when Shirley popped back up to the surface the young girl darted out the door.  
  
Outside Damia leaned against the door, clutching her sides as she laughed. Not only had making Shirley fall convinced the older woman that she was back to normal, it had actually made Damia feel much better. "What is so funny now young lady?" someone asked from the other side of the door. "And where is Shirley?"  
  
Damia looked over and grinned brightly at Rose just as Shirley stomped out of the room. She looked terrible, her red hair was drenched and all messed up. Her emerald green eyes were flashing fire at the grinning girl. Rose's hand flew up to her mouth as a laugh escaped her. Shirley whirled around and placed her hands on her hips. "And what do you think is so funny, Miss. Rose?" she demanded. Rose simply shook her head and began to laugh out loud. "And you," she said turning to Damia. But when she saw Damia rolling on the ground in laughter she couldn't help but grin herself. "At least when we fly I'll dry off well," she grumbled as a bright gold-silver light surrounded her, it was as though a thousand leaves covered her body. When they cleared she was floating above their heads, as the Light Dragoon. "Well come on and change, the sooner you do the sooner we leave."  
  
Rose nodded and immediately a dark purple orb laced through with others colors appeared. When she was in her armor she looked down at Damia. "Come on and change Damia," she said. "So that we can be on our way. If the people see us flying then their courage will be ignited and they will hold stronger tomorrow."  
  
Damia instantly stopped laughing and stood up as an icy-blue light surrounded her body. When it was gone she was flying level with Shirley and Rose. "You were urging me to come," she said as she zoomed off. "And yet you are still behind me!" Laughing she flew circles and loops around the two older woman, twirling her hammer and singing as she did.  
  
"I'm so glad that she is back to normal," Shirley told Rose. "It was far too depressing to see her sad and thinking of death."  
  
"Yeah," Rose said as Damia dropped her hammer and had to zoom downwards to get it. "I miss her being like this." After all, the thought of what could happen tomorrow had her own stomach tied in knots. It was hard to imagine what it had done to a young girl like Damia.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Belzac watched as Rose, Shirley, and Damia took off into the sky. A smile grew upon his large face when he saw Damia flying like she always had before. Shirley must have done something to break her out of the depression that she had been in before. The girl deserved to have a day of fun before tomorrow came. "Poor Damia," he said, as the three figures became specks in the sky. All of the Dragoons, even Kanzas at times, looked after Damia like a daughter because she was so young. Only thirteen when she had begun to fight with them.  
  
But out of all the Dragoons Belzac and Shirley watched after Damia the most. For Belzac she was like the daughter he had never had. Ever since she had begun the battle with them a year ago as the Blue Water Dragoon he had tried to protect her from all harm. He had not succeeded during battle but outside of it he was always there to guide her and comfort her when Shirley was not.  
  
Tomorrow though, he might not be able to protect the girl tomorrow. The fact that she might die made Belzac more afraid then his own death could. In his large hands he held the small carving she had made for him. It was of the Water Dragon, Regole. Damia had given it to him half a year ago, on his birthday. She was such a kind, sweet girl. She should not have been a Dragoon, she should have been a simple person who would not have to fight and kill people. She did not deserve the pain that brought.  
  
"Thinking about someone?" Syuveil asked from behind him. Belzac turned around and looked at the man. His long, dark blond hair was waving in the wind and, as always, he carried a book tucked under his arm. "Judging by what you are holding I would say it was Damia and not Shirley for once."  
  
Belzac nodded as he tucked the wooden figure back into his pocket. "You are correct as usual Syuveil," he said. "I was thinking about Damia. About how I think she should not be a part of this at all. She is too kind and caring and innocent for all the death and mayhem."  
  
Syuveil nodded his head, dark eyes thoughtful. "But she also wants freedom for the humans, liberation from the Winglies. She fights for what she believes in, as we all do." His voice was distant as he looked towards the east where they had flown.  
  
"Why is it so quiet over here?" Zieg asked as he walked among them. As usually his hair was a mess. "I came to get you so that we could celebrate!"  
  
"And what exactly are we supposed to celebrate?" Kanzas sneered. He had heard talking outside of his door and come out to see what it was about. "Tomorrow is the day we go to Kadessa and end it all, there is nothing to celebrate."  
  
"There is too something to celebrate," Zieg said stubbornly. "We are still alive after more then a year of this war. We are winning! We will defeat the Winglies and humans will never again have to live under their rule!"  
  
Belzac looked at Zieg in amazement. Despite all that could happen the man was still trying to hope for the best. "Yes," Syuveil said suddenly. "Let's go and celebrate. The girls are doing it and we should too. There is no point in spending the entire day and night worrying about tomorrow."  
  
Kanzas actually smiled, a real smile and not a sadistic one. "I'm ready to do something fun," he said. "If I'm going to die tomorrow then damn it I'm going to go out with a blast!"  
  
Zieg slung one arm around Kanzas's shoulder and another about Syuveil's. "Come on Belzac," he encouraged. "Let's go and have some fun." Together the four men started off down the stairs.  
  
"Might as well," Kanzas said with a shrug. "And if anybody says a thing wrong then I guess they can die a little earlier then they ever thought they would. Another death on my hands would not be a bad thing at all."  
  
Belzac glared at Kanzas, he had never really like the man very much but he was an ally. "I think that you should keep your fists to yourself today," he said coldly. "And not kill anyone unless they are threatening someone and need to be taken care of."  
  
"I have an idea," Syuveil said, casting glances back at Belzac and then over at Kanzas. "How about we all keep our tempers in rein? The last thing we need right now is a fight among allies. We really do not need that at all."  
  
Belzac know what Syuveil wasn't saying. He did not want him to hurt Kanzas. Belzac was considerably larger then Kanzas, then all human men, and quite a bit stronger. As a half-giganto Belzac had learned a long time ago to keep his temper in rein. But Kanzas had a way of setting him off quicker then anyone else had ever been able to. "I will keep my temper tonight Syuveil," he promised.  
  
"As will I," Kanzas agreed reluctantly. "But if anyone needs to be killed then I get to be the one to take care of it."  
  
"Agreed," Zieg said.  
  
"Agreed," Syuveil and Belzac said at the same time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
((So there is the first part and I know it is short but I just wanted to type it out so that I could get them all going to where they are going and the next chapter will deal with where they go. Maybe the one after too, but probably not.)) 


	2. Damia's Family

((Sorry that I did not update all of Thanksgiving Break but I was with my family and had absolutely no time whatsoever. But now I have updated! Thanks so much for your reviews, Amanda Swiftgold, Dark Fairy Warrior, and ssp47. I love your guys stories and having reviews from you that say my story is good means a whole lot. I hope you like this chapter too.))  
  
The sun had only been up for about two hours when Damia saw the ocean. Her pulse quickened and she went faster then she ever had before, no longer doing flips or singing. All that mattered to her was getting to the ocean and diving in. "It's been so long," she whispered to herself as she flew. The ocean was calling out to her, begging her to come and frolic in the waves like she had when she was a small child. Before the Winglies came, she thought with a stab of anger. Before they came and did what they did.  
  
"Damia!" Shirley called out when the girl sped up. But Damia ignored her; all she wanted now was to be in the ocean. The tides and soothing water would wash away all her worries and comfort her more then anything else ever could.  
  
"The ocean is calling her," Rose said to Shirley as they raced to catch up with the blue streak that was Damia. "She is a half-mermaid after all and the ocean runs in her veins."  
  
When Shirley and Rose finally reached the ocean shore Damia was nowhere in sight. They strained their eyes as they flew low over the water, watching for the young girl to surface. When she finally did she was laughing and her Dragoon armor was gone. She was simply Damia swimming in the sea. Her ruby-red eyes sparkled as she waved them down. "Come swim with me Shirley, Rose! Come and swim, the ocean washes all worries away!" Then she dove back under.  
  
Shirley looked over at Rose and shrugged. With a sigh she let go of the power of the Dragoon and fell, feet first into the water. When she re- surfaced, the waves beating at her, she saw Rose shed her Dragoon armor and complete a perfect dive into the water. When the black-haired woman came up Shirley splashed her. "Show off," she muttered.  
  
Rose grinned and splashed her back. They continued splashing each other until a particularly large wave came roaring up behind them. When they heard it they turned and let out a scream as it crashed down on them. When they came back up, spluttering, Damia laughed at them loudly, kicking her heels up in the water.  
  
Rose glared and said, "That was you, wasn't it?" Damia nodded, ruby-red eyes shining brightly.  
  
Shirley treaded water and tried to get a lot of it out of her hair. "Come on Damia," she said. "Let us visit your family, that is what we came here to do after all." The blue-haired girl bit her lip but nodded again and swum towards the shore.  
  
Once on the shore Damia didn't even dry herself off. She started immediately for what looked like a smoothed out rock. "That does not look natural," Shirley said to Rose.  
  
"You're right," Rose replied. "It doesn't. I think that is near where Damia used to live. She is heading towards it after all."  
  
When the two reached the rock they found Damia kneeling beside it, her hand on what looked like scribble. "Did you draw on this when you were young?" Shirley asked politely.  
  
Damia glared at her and said, "No. This is written in Mermaid, you could not understand it."  
  
"Oh," Shirley said, feeling slightly abashed. "I am sorry, I meant no offense."  
  
Damia turned back to the writings, tracing her hands over the letters. Tears were standing in her eyes, making them shimmer. "I know Shirley," she said quietly, her normally happy tone somber. "It is simply hard to be here and see this again."  
  
Rose reached forward and put a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Why don't we leave then and go see your family? That should cheer you up."  
  
Damia's shoulders began to shake as she trembled. "We are seeing my family," she told them. "They are all dead."  
  
Rose and Shirley exchanged a shocked look. Neither of them had ever known.. "Damia," Shirley began. "I'm sorry, I never-"  
  
"Of course you didn't," Damia said. "I never told you." Tears were streaming from her eyes as she sobbed, but she kept her eyes on the names and her small hands still traced the letters.  
  
Rose placed both her arms around Damia and hugged her tightly. Damia's hand came away from the letters and she turned to throw herself into Rose's arms, weeping. Rose stroked her hair, whispering something and saying soothing things. "It's all right dear," she said. "Cry all you want. We won't make you leave until you are ready to."  
  
As Rose helped Damia calm down Shirley went to the wall and looked at the letters. They had a strange shimmer to them, almost as though water was flowing just below the surface. She felt a strong urge to touch them and she could hear voices singing in a language she had heard Damia use. Without even realizing what she was doing she reached out and touched one of the letters, the one that glowed the brightest.  
  
Damia looked up when she heard Shirley gasp in astonishment. Her eyes widened and she screamed out, "Please Shirley don't!" But it was too late, Shirley had touched the letter and a bright silver-blue light exploded forward from the stone, enveloping them all.  
  
Damia felt herself lifted off the ground and they she grew smaller as she was dragged into the letter. It was a magical rune of the mermaids, one that would transport the person to see the event it spoke of. "I don't want to!" she screamed, twisting herself around. "I do not want to go there again!" Then the light brightened and everything went dark.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Rose groaned as she opened her eyes. A bright light was shining on her and her eyes were used to the dark. When she sat up, rubbing her head, she nearly choked. All around her was smooth stone, glowing with a silver-blue light. Damia was hitting her head against the wall saying over and over, "Stop, stop, stop, stop!" Shirley was still lying on the floor, her eyes closed.  
  
Shirley was closest so Rose went over to her and shook her awake. "Hey Shirley," she said as the other woman came around. "What happened?"  
  
"I do not know," Shirley replied. "We should ask Damia, whatever did happen she sure seems to dislike it."  
  
As they approached the girl Shirley put out a hand and touched her shoulder. Damia jumped and whirled around. When they landed on Shirley her eyes flared. "Why did you touch it?" she demanded, tackling Shirley to the ground. She began to hit the other woman. "Why Shirley, why?"  
  
Shirley raised her arms to defend herself but found that she no longer needed to. Rose had lifted Damia up with her arms locked behind her back. "Stop it Damia!" she commanded. "Shirley had no idea what would happen, heck, I have no idea what did happen! So why don't you tell us why it has you so upset."  
  
Damia struggled for a moment longer but then relaxed. "If you let me go," she told Rose. "Then I will tell you what happened and I will not attack Shirley."  
  
Shirley nodded at Rose as she stood up, rubbing her arm where Damia had hit her. "Okay Damia," she said calmly. "Tell us why you are so upset by whatever happened. And tell us what actually did happen, because I have no idea."  
  
Damia nodded and looked at the floor. Then she walked over to an area of the glowing wall that looked like glass. It was big enough for three people to stand and look out. She waved them over and they came, looking out. "We are inside the rock on which my family's names are written. When they died a rune was created, a mermaid rune. If anyone touches it then it brings them inside here, to the day that those who have their name on the rock died. We are on the day my family was killed and I was taken for a slave."  
  
Shirley and Rose both gasped, this was something that they had never expected. "I am so sorry Damia," Shirley said.  
  
"You are a Dragoon," Damia said coldly, still looking out the window. "You should have known not to touch something that looked magical when you did not know what it could do."  
  
Shirley winced and turned to look at Rose. The raven-haired woman simply shrugged and looked out the window. "When do we go back?" Shirley asked quietly. She felt horrible for what she had done and hoped it would end soon.  
  
Damia cast a glance at her that would have frozen boiling water. "As soon as all three of us have seen everything that happened, as soon as we have it engraved upon our memories. None of us can leave until that happens."  
  
Shirley's green eyes widened as she looked out the window. She saw a small child with turquoise blue hair playing in the waves, laughing and falling down as she collected shells. Farther up the beach was a man who had brown hair and brown eyes. He was sitting on a rock hanging over the water, talking with a woman in the water. The woman had hair like Damia's and eyes just the same. In fact, it was like an adult version of the half-mermaid. There were two more children playing on the beach, a boy with brown hair and ruby-red eyes and a girl who looked just like Damia. The boy looked to be older while the girl looked around the same age.  
  
A voice inside Shirley's head said, "The father of Damia, the human Samuel. The mother of Damia, the mermaid Serlene. The older brother of Damia, the half-mermaid Jacob. The twin sister of Damia, the half-mermaid Tamia."  
  
From the gasp she heard from Rose Shirley judged the voice had spoken to them all. Looking over at Damia she saw the girl had a hand pressed against the window and was looking at her family with grief and love in her eyes. "Tamia," she heard the girl whisper softly.  
  
Shirley found her eyes wrenched back to the happy scene of a family on the beach. For half of a day they watched the children play together while the adults talked. Then they all swam and the young ones made small waves come up with the encouragement of their mother. Damia was actually smiling as she watched, forgetting for a moment that everyone in her family, except for her, was dead.  
  
Then four Winglies landed on the beach and it seemed as though a cold set came to the beach. The sun was no longer shining and no birds were singing. "No," Shirley heard Damia whisper as the Winglies started towards where the family was building a sand castle.  
  
The father, Samuel, stood up to meet them. He smiled and held out a hand, which was rudely brushed aside. "We are here to take you pitiful human and the four half-breeds into slavery. Far too long have you lived here without doing any sort of labor for the Wingly Empire."  
  
Samuel's smiling face hardened and he reached for the sword that he wore on his belt. "You are not taking my family anywhere," he growled. "We are free people, no slaves to be worked."  
  
The Wingly smiled, a cold smile that Shirley knew too well from her own days of captivity. The young Damia and Tamia clung to each other, faces full of fear. "You will not come without a fight?" the Wingly asked as he drew a long, thin sword. "Good, we have been craving some fun."  
  
Jason drew his own shortsword and stepped forward to stand beside his father. "Only eight years old," the voice said. "And he was as brave as any. Fighting for the freedom of himself; but mostly for the safety of his beloved sisters."  
  
Tears ran freely down Damia's face as she pounded on the window. "Stop!" she screamed. "Don't do it father! Jason stop! Please just go with them!"  
  
Shirley felt tears leaking out of her own eyes and looked over to see Rose cover her mouth with a hand, tears sliding down her face. Then the Winglies charged at the two, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.  
  
It wasn't even much of a fight. Jason was only a boy and barely knew how to use his weapon, much less against trained warriors. He was soon disarmed and held, facing where his father still fought. Samuel stood not much longer then his son. The other three Winglies had converged on him and soon one ran his sword through the man's chest.  
  
"NO!!" Damia screamed as she fell to her knees, eyes full of tears but she could not move her face away from the scene in front of her.  
  
"NO!!" the child Damia screamed, running towards her father. Tamia went with her, screaming just as loudly. Their mother was left behind, standing helpless in shock.  
  
Jason fought to free himself but he wasn't strong enough and he was forced to see what happened to the sisters he loved so much. Water dropped upon the Wingly soldiers and judging by the screams and steam coming from them it was boiling hot. One of them grabbed hold of Damia and threw her hard against the rock in which the three Dragoons were watching. She fell to the ground, a trail of blood trickling from her mouth and nose.  
  
Damia's face was a horrible sight to see as she screamed and pounded on the window. She had never seen what happened next, she had been unconscious as it all unfolded.  
  
Tamia wasn't as lucky as her sister; in a rage one of the Winglies grabbed her by the throat and snapped it as easily as he would a thin stick. He then tossed her aside and laughed, a nasty sound that made Shirley shiver. Jacob was soon killed as well because he would not stop struggling and trying to get away. They simply stuck a sword through him and tossed him to where Tamia lay.  
  
Serlene was still standing in shock at what was happening, she could not believe it. "Two of her children dead," the voice said. "Along with her child. And in her own mind Damia is dead as well, she looks dead enough."  
  
The Winglies wiped their filthy hands off and started towards Serlene. She was still in complete shock, her ruby-red eyes wide and her face drained of all blood. "She'll make a pretty slave to be sure," one said. "She will fetch a good price. And if that half-breed is alive she will sell almost as well. Perhaps more so because she is a child."  
  
"Well let us take this woman now," the leader said. "Before she snaps out of it and attacks us like the half-breeds did." The others nodded agreement and started towards Serlene.  
  
The child Damia got to her feet suddenly and ran at the Winglies. She saw her sister and brother lying dead and her already red eyes seemed to glow. "No," the Dragoon Damia whimpered as she tried to turn her head away, "I do not want to see this. Please make it stop." She wasn't yelling, she was whimpering because of something more horrible then what had happened before.  
  
"You'll pay for this!" child Damia screamed as she pointed a small finger at the silver-haired Winglies. "You'll pay for what you have done to us, to us all!"  
  
Serlene snapped out of her shock when she heard Damia yelling. "Oh my child," she whispered softly. But they could all hear it perfectly because they had too. Then she raised her voice and cried, "The waves will come to you, I love you forever my Damia!"  
  
The child stopped running and her glowing eyes widened. Then she nodded and cried back, "I love you forever my mother! This I do for love of my family and people!"  
  
"Magic of the mermaid," the voice muttered. "That rarely can a half control. But Damia had the anger and power. She still hates herself for what she has done."  
  
Damia's eyes were wide as she watched herself throw back her head and scream. The ground trembled beneath her feet, throwing Shirley onto her knees. She heard Rose fall as well; Damia did not for she was already on her knees. The water on the beach drew away and Shirley gasped at the size of the wave that loomed over the beach. Child Damia was pointing at it, her eyes still glowing. "Mother it will harm you!" she cried out as she held the wave back. "You do not control it!"  
  
"Damia let it loose!" Serlene screamed. A wind had come up and was whipping around the beach, forcing the Winglies to stay on the ground, forcing them to face the end of their pitiful lives. "Kill them for love of your family!"  
  
Child Damia nodded and brought her hand forward suddenly with a ragged screech. "Face your fate Wingly murderers!" she shouted. Damia matched her own scream as she threw back her head and howled. The wave crashed down on the beach, and Shirley realized that the water was boiling.  
  
"Oh Damia," Shirley groaned as more tears flowed from her eyes. "What did you do?"  
  
When the wave finally was gone it left the beach as clean as it had been before, with only Damia standing on the beach. She was completely unharmed, except for her soul. She dropped to her knees and buried her face in the sand. "Mother!" she cried out in a heart-wrenching tone. "Mother forgive me!"  
  
Shirley watched even though it hurt as a heat-broken little girl carved names on the rock they stood inside. She wanted so much to hold and comfort the child but she could not. "Farewell my family," child Damia said as she finished the last rune. "Always will I love and remember you."  
  
When another patrol of Winglies came they found an unresisting half-mermaid girl who went with them without a fight.  
  
"It is over," the voice said. "But it is not in-printed yet and again must you see it."  
  
"No," Rose moaned. "Please Soa let us go!" Damia simply trembled with fear; she was too terrified to say anything anymore. The thought of seeing it again made her want to run forever.  
  
But they were forced to stay there as they watched it a second and then third time. They had to see it a total of ten times before it was as if Shirley had been there herself and she knew that she would always remember it. Then the silver-blue light flared and they found themselves standing outside the rock, at the same time that they had been sucked inside.  
  
Damia simply sunk down to the ground, her ruby-red eyes as wide as Serlene's had been and her face as drained of blood as any Shirley had ever seen. When Shirley tried to hug her and try to tell her it was all right she received such a cold glare that she back away. "You made us see that," she told her. "You keep your filthy hands off of me."  
  
Shirley's eyes filled with tears. She had hurt her so badly that she wished more then anything she could take it back. "Comfort her," she told Rose in a dead-sounding voice. "You did her no wrong." Then she turned and climbed to the top of a nearby rock, watching the ocean as she cried.  
  
Rose felt sorry for Shirley, she had not meant to do anything. But she felt worse for Damia, the poor girl had had to watch her entire family die again and again and again. "Come here Damia," she said, holding out her arms as she sat down. The young girl crawled over to her and curled up with Rose's arms around her as she sobbed.  
  
((I know that one was really not very fun but the next one will deal with Zieg, Kanzas, Syuveil, and Belzac.)) 


	3. Night Before

((So sorry that I took so long to update. But my Internet was down and I had no chances to. Glad that this story seems to be well-liked.))  
  
Amanda Swiftgold- Damia made those runes for other people to see what had happened. Mainly in case any Winglies happened by and touched it they would see the pain that there kind inflicted upon those they considered inferior to themselves.  
  
She-Ronin- Yeah I made Damia get mad at Shirley, something that never happens. But then again Shirley did do something pretty bad..  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Zieg looked around the city, trying to find a tavern where even Kanzas would keep himself out of trouble, if such a place existed. But today it seemed that every tavern was over-flowing with men looking to get drunk and brawl. "They sense something," Syuveil said. "They know what tomorrow is and fear that they will die as well."  
  
"Do not say as well!" Belzac snapped. "Some of us may die but some of us will live." He was thinking of one person in particular, all of them were.  
  
"We all hope that she doesn't die," Syuveil said softly. "Out of all of us at least she could survive."  
  
Damia, Zieg thought as they all stopped walking. Of them all Damia had the most right to live, she was the youngest and most innocent. But they needed to think of something else, even a fight would be better. So he pointed to the nearest tavern and said, "Come on guys, let's go in there."  
  
As luck would have it they went into the tavern and a man on his way out stumbled into Kanzas. The russet-haired man growled and picked the man up by the collar of his shirt. "You should watch where you are going friend," he said in a low voice.  
  
"Let go of me!" the man yelled, punching Kanzas in the face. He was obviously drunk. Kanzas smiled coldly as he licked the blood off of his lip and threw the man across the room.  
  
"Here we go again," Belzac muttered. Every single time he had come into a tavern of any sorts with Kanzas the man had begun a riot that had ended with the tavern in shambles and them running away from it as fast as they could go.  
  
The tavern was quiet, and then it burst into a riot of sound as men jumped up and began hitting the nearest person to them. Syuveil jumped up on top of a table to say out of it and looked around for the others. Kanzas had just smashed two men together and thrown them aside before moving on to another, at least he wasn't killing them yet. Zieg had a smile on his face as he fought with another man, fist to fist. Another man lay on the floor, his eyes closed and a nasty bruise welling up on one side of his head. Belzac had one man in each hand and was holding them off of the ground, an upset look on his face. If he would have had his way then none of this would be happening. But if someone attacked him then he would make sure they never did it again.  
  
Just as Syuveil was thinking he should help Zieg out an ale mug hit him in the back of the head. He stumbled off the table and whirled around to see who had thrown it. Two men jumped at him and he fell to the ground under their weight. Quickly he brought his arm around to knock one of them in the temple before rolling under the table and jumping back up on the other side. "Not quick enough gentlemen," he said with a grin. "Come and try that again."  
  
Half an hour later Zieg, Kanzas, Belzac, and Syuveil were about three streets down from that tavern. "The innkeeper overacted," Kanzas growled as he wiped the blood off of his hands.  
  
"You killed four of his customers," Zieg pointed out as he rubbed his split lip. "I do not think that is overreacting in the slightest."  
  
"Do not forget that we ruined his bar," Belzac said. He had no marks on him, not many had wanted to mess with someone the size of a Giganto.  
  
Syuveil took a quick glance at them and said, "I think we should go back to the Towers and have a small celebration there. With all the ale and wine and beer that we can drink!"  
  
The other three looked at each other and smiled. "Last one back pays for it!" Zieg said as he took off, Kanzas and the others close at his heels.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Damia's sobs slowed thoughts began whirling through her mind. Memories that she had about her family were prominent in those thoughts. But the other Dragoons whom she had fought so many battles beside, they were in there too. Especially Shirley, who had treated Damia as a daughter. She felt slightly bad about yelling at the older woman, but she did deserve it. After all, she was a Dragoon and should have learned by now not to touch something if you did not know what it was or what it did.  
  
Rose wiped the tears off of her face and made her look up at her. "Do you want to spend the rest of the day in tears and sorrow? Along with grief? We saw it as clearly as you did; it is burned into our minds as well as it is into yours. She didn't know Damia, she couldn't have known."  
  
Damia nodded and wiped tears off of Rose's own face, the black-haired woman had been crying as well. "I will go and talk with Shirley," she said as she stood up. "When we get back we can head towards Vellweb, or maybe Ulara." She turned and walked off towards where she had seen Shirley go.  
  
As Damia picked her way along the rocks she heard sobbing that was getting louder. When she topped one of the rocks she found herself nearly on top of Shirley. The other woman looked startled but she quickly turned her face away, the sobbing stopped. "Shirley," Damia started but Shirley talked over her.  
  
"I am sorry for what I did Damia," Shirley told her in a dead-sounding voice. "More sorry then you can imagine, then I have ever been. I should have known better then to touch that rune, you were right about that. I don't know if it is right to ask for your forgiveness, I am not sure that I deserve it."  
  
Damia placed her hands on Shirley's shoulder and made the teary-eyed woman look at her. "Everyone deserves forgiveness," she said gently before she hugged her. Shirley hugged her back just as tightly, still apologizing. When she pulled away she said, "I forgive you Shirley."  
  
"Thank you Damia," Shirley said as she wiped her eyes dry. "How is Rose doing?"  
  
"Better then she was before," Damia said. "Let's not talk about that now, let's go to Vellweb or Ulara and do something to take our minds off of it."  
  
"Ulara is good for me," Shirley said as they started back down towards where Rose was. "We can speak with Charle and some of the other Winglies. They wanted us to visit them before we go to Kadessa. It could be the last time we see them."  
  
"Don't say that," Damia told her as she jumped the last ten feet to the ground. "Think positive rather then negative."  
  
"Some people prefer to prepare for the worst," Shirley told her as she swung down from the rock. "That way they are not surprised if it happens and are glad if it doesn't."  
  
"Well you can prepare for the worst," Damia told her as she turned a backflip. "But I would much rather think the best."  
  
"As would I," Rose said. She had come around the corner and nearly ran into Shirley. "So where are we going?"  
  
"To Ulara," Damia said as she transformed into a Dragoon. By the time she could see again Rose and Shirley had joined her and they took off together, towards Ulara instead of Vellweb.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Charle leaned back in her chair and sighed. She knew what tomorrow was, and she did not want it to happen anymore then most did. Her brother, Melbu Frama, wanted it to happen. He actually thought that he would win! Not against the humans though, with the Dragoons and Dragons on their side the Winglies did not have much of a chance.  
  
"Charle!" a light voice shouted. The Wingly woman turned around just in time to see a flash of teal-blue hair before she was nearly knocked off of her feet. "It is so nice to see you again!"  
  
Charle hugged the teal-haired girl back just as tightly. "It is good to see you as well Damia," she said. "And you two as well, Rose and Shirley. I wasn't sure if I would see you before tomorrow."  
  
"We decided to come and say hello to you Charle," Shirley said as she hugged Charle tightly. "Just in case, you know."  
  
"Yes I do know," Charle said as she hugged Rose. "But here, sit down and have some tea. I just made it." The three sat down as she said and each took a small cup that had tea poured into it. "So where are the boys?" Charle asked as she poured herself a cup and settled down across from Rose. "I would have thought you seven were sticking together today."  
  
"Shirley suggested that we visit my family," Damia said in a strained voice. "And then do something fun. So we visited my family and then we came here."  
  
Charle could sense that something was not right here. "What happened when you visited your family Damia?" she asked.  
  
So Damia told her everything.  
  
Three hours later Charle stood on her balcony as Damia, Rose, and Shirley flew off. They waved at each other until they could no longer see that far. Sighing she watched the setting sun, along with the blue, dark purple, and silver-white specks, as they faded into the distance. "I so hope we will see each other again," she whispered.  
  
((There is chapter three. The next chapter will be the beginning of the battle at Kadessa.)) 


	4. Sadness, Fear, Anger, Pity, Weakness, Pa...

((Glad you all liked it and thanks for the reviews. I'm interested to see what happens next too, Amanda! I know I'm the writer and all but my stories have a life all their own and they decide what happens when and stuff like that. ^_^ ))  
  
In a room where everything was perfectly clean, where windows lined the entire wall, letting in bright shafts of light, a woman awoke with a sad feeling in her heart. The floors were gold-silver, the walls pure white. As she climbed out of bed she wanted to cry, the sadness overwhelmed her so. She wasn't sure why she was so sad, only that she wished that it would stop, that it would go away. She dressed simply, in a short skirt and light shirt, easy to move around in during the battle. She decided to leave her flame-red hair loose, Belzac liked it that way. "I am the Dragoon of Light," she told herself as she picked up her bow and quiver and laid her hand on the door handle. "I have no reason to be this sad."  
  
In a room where the walls were nearly black, shot through with pale violet veins, where there were no windows and only one candle that burned with a dark flame, a woman awake with a fearful feeling in her heart. As she placed her lily-white feet on the dark purple floor she wanted to curl up underneath of her bed and lock the door. She had never been this afraid before in her life, never could she remember having such a paralyzing fear. She dressed in her usual armor clothing. A dark purple set of armor that consisted of a skirt, blouse, and a long legged boot with a second that barely rose to cover her ankle. Her night-black hair she kept off of her forehead with a dark purple headband shot through with gold that had two pointed ear-like objects sticking up. "I am the Dragoon of Dark," she told herself as she fell to her knees before the door, shaking with fear. "I have nothing to fear."  
  
In a room full of toys fit for small children, a room where the air felt warm and kind, a man awoke with a feeling of anger in his soul. He had never felt anger like this; he wanted to destroy everything in his sight. He climbed out of bed, his milky-blue eyes blazing with the anger that was roaring through him. The floor he stood upon was a soft-brown color like freshly tilled earth, the walls were golden-brown covered with paintings of vines and trees. The man, who was extremely large, dressed in a plain outfit, not caring what his appearance was. There was a battle this day and his armor would be made of something stronger then anything man's hands had created. "I am the Dragoon of Earth," he said in a voice that rumbled deeply. "The anger I feel is justified!"  
  
In a room that made anyone who entered tremble with a sense of foreboding a man awoke with a feeling of pity in his soul. Around this room, which had walls and floors of deepest blood red, candles flickered and flared. Small dolls lined shelves, none of them the sort of dolls that a young girl would want to play with. As the man swung out of bed he fell to the floor, tears leaking from his dark blue eyes. Pity overwhelmed him, pity for those he had slain mercilessly for no reason but to feel the life leave their bodies. He barely managed to make himself stand up and get dressed, in his usual maroon-colored tunic and plain, un-dyed cotton tunic. "I am the Dragoon of Thunder," he said as he fell to his knees again at the door. "I am no time to feel this pity!"  
  
In a room where shelves full of books lined every wall and more books were piled all over the floor, where the only light was given off by brightly burning candles and no windows, a man awoke with a feeling of weakness in his soul. He moved slowly out of his bed, feet dragging along the jade- green floor. He pulled on his green cloak with hands that trembled and finished tying up his tunic with fingers that felt weak. He picked up the steel-tipped lance lying in a corner of his room and used it to help him make his way across the book-filled room to his door. At the door he stopped and leaned against the door for rest. "I am the Dragoon of Wind," he said in a tired-voice. "I have no reason to feel this weak!"  
  
In a room where the fireplace was always roaring with a hot fire, a room where the walls were painted with flames and the floors were a swirl or flame-red, orange, and yellow, a man awoke with a feeling of pain in his heart. He screamed in pain, writhed as he fell out of his bed, reaching for his sword to fend off whatever was causing it. But after a moment the pain dulled and he realized that no enemy was doing this, it was inside of him. But nothing would keep him from battle this day, not even Soa could do that to him. So he dressed in his fire-red armor and lay near to the door, gasping with the pain that was trying to keep him from moving. His sword was clenched tightly n his hand as he bit his lip to keep from screaming again. "I am the Dragoon of Fire," he said through the blood that trickled off of his lip. "This pain will not harm me!"  
  
In a room where the floor was circles full of clear, cool water, where a large window let the morning sun stream in, a young girl woke with a sense of despair in her soul. Her bed was a large circle with water two feet deep, the water being clean salt water that helped her to relax more then a regular bed ever could. She let herself float to the surface and lay with her head on the edge of the circle, her ruby-red eyes filled with utter despair. She somehow managed to make herself change into the outfit she had decided upon wearing, a pair of turquoise leggings that Rose had given her and a teal tunic that had shimmery dark blue sequins sewed on that Shirley had made for her. Her turquoise colored hair she pulled back into a braid; it was easier to see without hair flying into her face. She swam through each circle to her door, walking through the shallow ones. At the door she stood there, a single tear dropping from her eye as the despair threatened to overwhelm her. "I am the Dragoon of Water," she said. "This despair has no power over me!"  
  
They all struggled that morning, none of them able to even leave their rooms because of the strong emotions that was within them. For Shirley is was grief, sadness that made her shrink away from everything; for Rose it was fear, fear that she had never before felt so strongly; for Belzac it was anger that threatened to make him forget his kind and gentle soul; for Kanzas it was pity, something that he had never before felt, pity for all those he had killed without reason; for Syuveil it was weakness, making him too weak to even think about battle; for Zieg it was pain like nothing he had ever felt, forcing him to fell helpless as it tormented his body. And for Damia it was despair, despair that nothing she did would help, despair so overwhelming that she refused to go out the door to do anything.  
  
"Damia," a soft voice called through the water-filled room.  
  
The turquoise-haired girl looked around, her teary ruby-red eyes searching for who had spoken. For a brief second the despair was gone, but then it was back and she did not care who had spoken. "Damia," the voice said again, echoing through the room. "Damia, Damia look for me."  
  
The young half-mermaid looked up again. The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not place it. "Who are you?" she demanded. The despair was gnawing at her, she didn't matter she shouldn't talk. They would lose the battle that day, Shirley and Rose would die painful deaths while she watched, before she herself was killed. "Leave me alone," she told the voice. "Leave me alone to my despair."  
  
"Damia, Damia," the voice said again. "Damia is never glum, Damia never despairs. She never has and never would. The Damia I knew wouldn't. Oh Damia, Damia, what has happened to you?"  
  
Damia stood up, her eyes free of tears as she searched the room. "Where are you/' she asked. "Come out and let me see you that I may know you. I know your voice, let me see your face!" The despair roared at her, forcing her eyes back to her own hands, her worthless hands that had never helped anyone. The hands that had helped to kill her own mother.  
  
"In the largest pool," the voice said. "Damia, look in the largest pool. Fight it my Damia, fight it with your human heart and mermaid soul"  
  
Damia walked toward the largest pool, the one that was over eight feet deep and full of dark blue cold water. She looked into the pool and recoiled from what she saw. After taking a breath and forcing the despair down she looked back in. In the water was a young woman who looked exactly like her. "My reflection," she said as a teardrop hit the water and disturbed the image. "My mind is playing tricks on me again." The despair jumped up in her and he stared at the image in the water as her eyes went bleak.  
  
"No, no my Damia!" the voice cried. Damia frowned slightly, the mouth of the image had moved, only she had not spoken a word. But the voice had.. "Damia it is not your reflection, I am not you! My name is Tamia, I am your twin sister. Don't let the despair take you, my Damia wouldn't do that!"  
  
Damia was still with shock and then the despair overwhelmed her, so strong that she nearly fell forward into the pool. Everything vanished into the darkness of the despair, her world went black. Then there was a small voice, yelling at her through the darkness, trying to make her understand. "Damia!" the voice yelled. "Damia, my Damia, come back! Fight the despair, fight it with all you are!"  
  
"Tamia?" Damia asked as a crack of light appeared in the dark. She strained for it with all of her mind but then the crack was gone, filled with more darkness that consumed her mind and heart, but not her soul, not yet her soul. "Human heart!" the voice screamed at her. "My Damia!"  
  
The sadness that filled Shirley grew, tears streaming from her eyes as she wept for something that she did not know. "Shirley, Dragoon of Light!" a voice broke through the tears. The void of sadness that had surrounded her was gone, shattered by that voice. "Damia needs your aid! She needs your help!"  
  
Shirley looked up, her emerald green eyes clear. She rubbed them even though when she saw a slightly misty figure standing in front of her. It looked exactly like Damia, right down to the small blue scales surrounding the eyes. She almost asked who it was but something, a memory, flashed in her mind then. A young girl who looked exactly like Damia, playing with her on the beach. "Tamia?"  
  
The misty half-mermaid nodded. "Come now Shirley, come now we must help Damia. If we bring her out then the others will come out immediately."  
  
As Shirley ran towards Damia's room she turned and asked the girl, "Tamia, what is happening?"  
  
"Melbu Frama," Tamia replied. "Is hitting you all with a blast of emotions so that you will not leave your rooms to fight. He will win if you stay here. He hit Damia the hardest and tied everyone but you to her. He hit you the weakest, I am not sure why."  
  
Inside Damia's room Shirley nearly began to cry again at the sight of the half-mermaid girl. She was sitting still, ruby-red eyes starring straight ahead and full of despair. Tear-tracks were down her cheeks where she had cried. Shirley ran lightly along the edge pathway and knelt in front of Damia, taking the young girl's shoulders in her hands and shaking her slightly. "Damia!" she yelled into her face. "Damia, it is me Shirley. Do not despair Damia, we can win. Fight it Damia, fight it!"  
  
Beside her Tamia was saying, "Please my Damia, fight it for me. Fight it for mother and father and Jason! Fight it so that you can go and kill those Winglies who did this to us all. Damia, oh Damia, please come back!"  
  
Once Damia closed her eyes and shook her head but when they opened again they were still as full of despair as ever. Shirley nearly gave into despair herself then, if they could not make this girl see light through despair then they could not get the others to either. Suddenly she heard something though that made her think of Damia, made her see the girl as she normally was, happy and dancing. She looked over and saw that Tamia was singing in a voice that sounded so much like Damia's. Shirley smiled slightly and began to sing herself, in a voice that sounded like gentle spring light.  
  
"Heart of a human, soul of a mermaid, Daughter of a woman who loved you. Home in the ocean, free in the high skies Friend to all who see you."  
  
Then Shirley heard another voice join in and she didn't even have to open her eyes to know who it was. The voice was like a star-filled night, gentle and soothing."  
  
"Little dancer, little singer Always happy to see you Half human, half mermaid All kindness."  
  
Damia began to shake underneath of Shirley's hand and she whimpered slightly. They were helping her to fight it, she was fighting the despair that had encased her and as she did the others fought as well, and they won. Four more voices joined them then. One was as hot as a fire, the second deep as the earth, the third was like a light wind, and the fourth was as loud and brash as thunder.  
  
"You're not the biggest of us all dear Damia, You're not the strongest of us all dear Damia, But when it comes to your heart, You'll always have us beat We all love you, dear Damia."  
  
"Dance and sing your way back to the light Come back soon, we need your help to fight Without you we are lost among the darkness With you we can see our way is clearly lit. Come back to us, dear Damia."  
  
The six Dragoons sang alone then: "Heart of a human, we see it every day Laugh like a child, we hear it in all ways Eyes that see and don't judge Face that always grins. Please don't leave us now, dear Damia."  
  
Then Tamia sang: "Soul of a mermaid, I know it is in there Strength of the ocean, I've seen it in your eyes Love that fills your being, more kind then any other It's not your time to meet me, you still have much to do Stay with them now, my dear Damia."  
  
When they opened their eyes they saw the half-mermaid girl, her eyes still as bleak as ever, her body perfectly still. "You must go now," Tamia told them. "It has taken her fully. You have a chance without her, you cannot linger here."  
  
The six Dragoons nodded, they knew it was true. And no matter how much they loved this small child they all knew that saving Endiness was more important. They walked to the door after biding her good-bye, eyes downcast as they went.  
  
"Heart of a human, thrives in me each day Soul of a mermaid drives me forth always Eyes like a child, that care for you all Strength of the ocean, will help me through it all. I'll not leave you, my dear friends. I'm not coming yet, my dear Tamia."  
  
They all turned as one to see Damia standing up and facing them, her large hammer held in one hand as she grinned at them. "I'll not forsake you yet my friends," she said. It had been her voice singing, almost exactly like Tamia's but slightly lighter and clearer. "We still have work to do. Thank you for guiding me back, I saw you all in the darkness. And I saw you my sister you helped me the most. I will see you again someday, my Tamia. But now I must join my friends in the fight at Kadessa!" With that last word a frosty blue light surrounded her and when it shattered like snow crystals she was in her Dragoon armor, ready to fight.  
  
Together the seven Dragoons flew on towards Kadessa, ready to finish the fight for Endiness by winning. Damia turned back one more time, waving at her misty sister who waved and then vanished.  
  
((Hope you all liked that chapter! The next one will be the battle. Originally this would be but I got a little side-tracked as you can tell.)) 


End file.
